Stair nosing

ABSTRACT

A prefabricated stair nose for floor installations on stairs wherein the present invention is manufactured from wood or other suitable material. The stair nose of the present invention includes four embodiments wherein all four embodiments include a lower inset formation that is configured to be placed on an edge of a stair tread. The body of the present invention further includes an upper inset formation wherein the upper inset formation is configured to engage a portion of a wood floor plank. Two embodiments of the present invention further include a groove inset formation that is operable to mateable couple with a tongue formation of a wood floor plank. The body of the stair nosing of the present invention is provided with both an arcuate shaped front surface and a square shaped front surface.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to flooring components, morespecifically but not by way of limitation, a stair nosing wherein thestair nosing of the present invention is pre-fabricated and manufacturedfrom wood having an outer edge design that facilitates improved andefficient installation thereof.

BACKGROUND

As is known in the art, there are numerous types of materials utilizedfor flooring in both commercial and residential buildings. By way ofexample but not limitation these floor material types include tile,vinyl and wood. The latter floor type, wood, is quite popular inresidential homes and is available in numerous styles, colors and typesof wood. These wood floors typically are provided in tongue and grooveplanks and are either nailed or adhered to the floor. For someapplications the wood floors are installed in a manner referred to as afloating floor wherein the planks are not secured to the sub-floor.

One issue when installing wood floors concerns installation of the woodfloors on the stairs. The treads of the stairs terminate such that theedge of the planks are exposed. In order provide a cosmeticallydesirable installation of the wood floors, the installer will utilizinga stair nosing on the edge of the tread that provides coverage of theexposed edge of the wood plank and creates a desirable appearance.Currently, flooring producers manufacture the nosing out of the floormaterial. The floor material is very difficult to cut making it hard tocreate a proper looking nosing. Additionally, when making the nosing outof the flooring material production of fine sawdust is created which canbe dangerous to inhale for the installer of the floor. This process isexpensive and further requires a great deal of expertise in both cuttingof the nose from the floor material and subsequent staining to ensureall exposed areas match the color of the floor.

Accordingly, there is a need for a pre-fabricated wood stair nosingwherein the wood stair nosing includes all of the necessary outer edgeelements so as to operably couple with wood floors and a stair tread andwherein the stair nosing of the present invention can be easily stainedor painted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to provide a stair nosingoperable to be placed on treads of stair in conjunction with wood floorswherein the stair nosing of the present invention includes fourembodiments.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stair nosingthat is manufactured from wood and provided in a length that can be cutto achieve the required length for installation wherein the body of thepresent invention includes a front edge that is provided both in a flatformation as well as a curved bullnose formation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a stair nosingoperable to be placed on treads of stair in conjunction with wood floorswherein the body of the present invention includes a lower inset portionconfigured to engage a portion of a tread of a stair.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a stairnosing that is manufactured from wood and provided in a length that canbe cut to achieve the required length for installation wherein the bodyincludes an upper inset portion that is configured to be mateablycoupled to an edge of a floor plank.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a stairnosing operable to be placed on treads of stair in conjunction with woodfloors wherein the present invention includes an embodiment that furtherincludes a groove inset portion operable to receive a tongue portion ofa floor plank.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a stairnosing that is manufactured from wood and provided in a length that canbe cut to achieve the required length for installation wherein the bodyis manufactured from wood that is easy to stain or paint.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stair nosingoperable to be placed on treads of stair in conjunction with wood floorswherein the present invention is manufactured an provided to floorinstaller to be cut to a required length.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the presentinvention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Attention is called to the fact that the drawings areillustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being a part of thepresent invention, limited only by the scope of the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had byreference to the following Detailed Description and appended claims whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a bullnose embodiment of the present invention;and

FIG. 2 is an end view of square faced embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 3 is an end view of a bullnose embodiment for a tongue and groovefloor; and

FIG. 4 is an end view of a square faced embodiment for a tongue andgroove floor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings submitted herewith, wherein variouselements depicted therein are not necessarily drawn to scale and whereinthrough the views and figures like elements are referenced withidentical reference numerals, there is illustrated a stair nosing 100constructed according to the principles of the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention is discussed herein withreference to the figures submitted herewith. Those skilled in the artwill understand that the detailed description herein with respect tothese figures is for explanatory purposes and that it is contemplatedwithin the scope of the present invention that alternative embodimentsare plausible. By way of example but not by way of limitation, thosehaving skill in the art in light of the present teachings of the presentinvention will recognize a plurality of alternate and suitableapproaches dependent upon the needs of the particular application toimplement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyondthat of the particular implementation choices in the embodimentdescribed herein. Various modifications and embodiments are within thescope of the present invention.

It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limitedto the particular methodology, materials, uses and applicationsdescribed herein, as these may vary. Furthermore, it is also to beunderstood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose ofdescribing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit thescope of the present invention. It must be noted that as used herein andin the claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include the pluralreference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, forexample, a reference to “an element” is a reference to one or moreelements and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in theart. All conjunctions used are to be understood in the most inclusivesense possible. Thus, the word “or” should be understood as having thedefinition of a logical “or” rather than that of a logical “exclusiveor” unless the context clearly necessitates otherwise. Structuresdescribed herein are to be understood also to refer to functionalequivalents of such structures. Language that may be construed toexpress approximation should be so understood unless the context clearlydictates otherwise.

References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “exemplaryembodiments”, and the like may indicate that the embodiment(s) of theinvention so described may include a particular feature, structure orcharacteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes theparticular feature, structure or characteristic.

Referring in particular to the Figures submitted as a part hereof, thestair nosing 100 includes a body 10. It should be understood within thescope of the present invention that the body 10 in a preferredembodiment is manufactured from wood but could be manufactured fromother suitable materials. The body 10 is provided in four embodiments,A, B, C and D that are discussed herein. The embodiments of the stairnosing 100 are pre-manufactured and provided to floor installers invarious lengths wherein the floor installer will cut the body 10 to therequired length for the installation onto stairs.

Now referring to FIG. 1 , the body 10 includes a front edge 12 that isarcuate in form extending from the upper edge 9 to the lower edge 8. Thelower edge 8 continues toward second end 5 at a distance that could belonger than that of the upper edge 9. A lower inset 15 is formed intothe body 10 that includes a first edge surface 16 and a second edgesurface 17. First edge surface 16 and second edge surface 17 areperpendicular to each other forming the lower inset 15 to have a rightangle in order to mateably couple with a stair tread. While noparticular dimensions are required, in a preferred embodiment the lowerinset 15 has a depth of four to nineteen millimeters and a height ofthree to twelve millimeters. An upper inset 20 is formed in the body 10and includes a lower edge surface 22 and a forward edge surface 24. Thelower edge surface 22 extends from second end 5 towards first end 4 andis contiguous with forward edge surface 24 being perpendicular thereto.While no particular dimensions are required, the upper inset 20 has aheight of four to nineteen millimeters and a depth of four to fiftymillimeters. The body 10 has a width from first end 4 to second end 5 ofnine millimeters to approximately fifty millimeters in a preferredembodiment but it is contemplated within the scope of the presentinvention that alternate dimensions could be provided. The body 10 has aheight ranging from upper edge 9 to lower edge 8 that is providedbetween twelve millimeters and approximately fifty millimeters in apreferred embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2 embodiment B is manufactured similarly to embodimentA. Embodiment B includes a lower inset 35 and an upper inset 40 whereinthe dimensions are identical to those discussed herein for embodiment A.Embodiment B is provided with a straight front surface edge 42 whereinthe front surface edge 42 is perpendicular with upper edge surface 39and lower edge surface 38. All dimensions as recited herein forembodiment A are the same for embodiment B. Embodiment B is provided tooffer a flat front surface area as opposed to an arcuate shaped frontsurface area.

Referring now to FIG. 3 submitted as a part hereof, embodiment C of thestair nosing 100 is illustrated therein. Embodiment C and D as will bediscussed further herein are configured to mateably couple with floorplanks having tongue and groove elements. The body 10 includes a frontedge surface 62 that is arcuate in form and extends between upper edgesurface 69 and lower edge surface 68 being contiguous therewith. A lowerinset 70 is formed in the body 10 having a first edge surface 72 and asecond edge surface 71. The first edge surface 72 and the second edgesurface 71 are perpendicular with each other and are formed so as toprovide a mateable connection between the body 10 and a stair tread.While no particular dimensions are required for the lower inset 70, in apreferred embodiment of the body 10 the lower inset 70 has a depth offour to nineteen millimeters and a height of three to twelvemillimeters. An upper inset 80 is formed in the body 10 having a loweredge surface 82 and a forward edge surface 84. Lower edge surface 82 andforward edge surface 84 are perpendicular to each other and contiguous.Formed in the forward edge surface 84 is groove inset 90. Groove inset90 provides an area to accept a tongue on a tongue and groove floorplank. While no particular dimensions are required for the upper inset80, a preferred embodiment has a depth of four to fifty millimeters anda height of four to nineteen millimeters. Additionally, the groove inset90 has a height of three to twelve millimeters. The body 10 has a widthfrom first end 104 to second end 105 of nine millimeters toapproximately fifty millimeters in a preferred embodiment but it iscontemplated within the scope of the present invention that alternatedimensions could be provided. The body 10 has a height ranging fromupper edge surface 69 to lower edge surface 68 that is provided betweentwelve millimeters and approximately fifty millimeters in a preferredembodiment.

Embodiment D is manufactured similarly to embodiment C. Embodiment Dincludes a lower inset 70 and an upper inset 80 and groove inset 90wherein the dimensions are identical to those discussed herein forembodiment C. Embodiment D is provided with a straight front surfaceedge 112 wherein the front surface edge 112 is perpendicular with upperedge surface 69 and lower edge surface 68. All dimensions as recitedherein for embodiment C are the same for embodiment D. Embodiment D isprovided to offer a flat front surface area as opposed to an arcuateshaped front surface area.

While the embodiments illustrated and discussed herein all have upperinsets and lower insets, it is contemplated within the scope of thepresent invention that all of the embodiments could have be providedwherein either only the upper inset or lower inset is present.

In the preceding detailed description, reference has been made to theaccompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown byway of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may bepracticed. These embodiments, and certain variants thereof, have beendescribed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art topractice the invention. It is to be understood that other suitableembodiments may be utilized and that logical changes may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. The description mayomit certain information known to those skilled in the art. Thepreceding detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be limitedto the specific forms set forth herein, but on the contrary, it isintended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, ascan be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A stair nosing configured to be placed on a stairtread during installation of a wood floor wherein the stair nosingcomprises: a body, said body having a first end and a second end, saidbody having an upper edge and a lower edge, said body having a frontsurface, said body further having an upper inset formed therein, saidupper inset being formed proximate said second end and said upper edge.2. The stair nosing as recited in claim 1, wherein said body furtherinclude a lower inset, said lower inset being formed proximate saidsecond and said lower edge.
 3. The stair nosing as recited in claim 1,wherein said front edge is perpendicular to said lower and said upperedge so as to form a flat front edge.
 4. The stair nosing as recited inclaim 2, wherein said lower inset has a depth that ranges from fourmillimeters to nineteen millimeters.
 5. The stair nosing as recited inclaim 4, wherein said body further includes a groove inset, said grooveinset being formed in a forward edge surface of said upper inset.
 6. Thestair nosing as recited in claim 5, wherein said lower inset has aheight that ranges from three to twelve millimeters.
 7. The stair nosingas recited in claim 6, wherein said groove inset has a height rangingfrom three to twelve millimeters.
 8. The stair nosing as recited inclaim 7, wherein said upper inset has a depth that ranges from four tofifty millimeters.
 9. The stair nosing as recited in claim 8, whereinsaid upper inset has a height ranging from four to nineteen millimeters.10. The stair nosing as recited in claim 9, wherein said body has adepth ranging from nine to fifty millimeters.
 11. The stair nosing asrecited in claim 10, wherein said body has a height that ranges fromtwelve to fifty millimeters.
 12. The stair nosing as recited in claim11, wherein said front edge is contiguously formed with said upper edgeand said lower edge being intermediate thereto, said front edge beingarcuate in form.